Massage take care of everything

In spite of a bad headache yesterday, I went to play golf this morning for nine holes. It is always nice to go to Diosso and walk the seaside golf course for one hour or two no matter if you hit the golf ball or not. I still need to change my attitude toward the caddy who always ask for either an advance because his mother or daughter is sick or ask to meet my husband for a job or any other favour they can get.Since there is no other way they can get anything they need to ask us,the mundele expat. What else can they do and who else can they ask. It is irritating but what can we do. We can not get by here without caddy. Thanks to them and their infinite patience that I can play and appreciate golf the way I do right now. I can never get this in the united states where patience , class , expectation and time all cost money. ANyway, the one who got sick this morning is my husband. he stayed in bed all morning but woke up and went to work after lunch time. I also feel funny and lazy but I ahve help. Rosette is coming in teh afternoon for pedicure an dmassage. And now thanks to her massage session for bothe feet and body,I am up and sitting here writing this.Next thing to do is figure out how to spell check and edit it quickly and put in some pictures. I saw so much thing that I should atke pictures Baobub tree , teh guy who climb the palm tree and get regime de palm for palm wine , the mama with little baby tied up at her back. If i ahve to be thankful today it will be for Christ, the caddy, Armel, the chauffeur and Rossette ,the masseuse. What can I do without them in this idyllic ,relaxing setting.

Time to put pictures

It rain this evening not too much and We ahve seem miss Lucky walking around in teh backyard. I have got to my old Dell and start working on it to extract all my files and pictures and clean it all up to be ready to give to teh monk in Pak Chong next time I go there. Iahve been trying to call Ranrong but can not get through to him. I got through to Kluay without problem and Pi Aew.Look like Ying /Aruna has been in Thaialnd lately. Wonder if she 'd made it to Pi Yai 's 80th BD party or not. it wa snice to see the pictures. I ask Pi Aew about teh workshop location enar Korat and Wang Nam Keow came up as teh ideal location. I will follow up tomoro as I 'd already made soem enquiries about accommodationa nd touring service. Now it's time to put teh picture and make it nice.

Lesson three yoga & meditation & delete &space clearing

I am now back in Pointe Noire. Still not completely unpacked but ready for the yoga and meditation routine. O.K. It has been almost 4 days in a row that I did not practice yoga but luckily I did a mini version in Brazzaville once on Wednesday morning before going to Brazzaville zoo. I was so sad to see all the animal lock up in small cages without any care or feeding. Luckily ,I heard from Rebecca and David that they send a keeper from Tchipunga there to take care of Jorly the big grown chimp there. Soon he will be transfered to Tchimpunga. But how about all the other animal. Can they be released. The lions have been eaten by the locals during the civil war 7-8 years ago. The crocodile in the small enclosure look so miserable and pathetic.
Ramane teh chauffeur told me that before the war this zoo was very big and beautiful. very well kept. It must ahve been under the care of Jacqueline at that time. Now we only see the trace of it on a tired dirty picture on teh wall. There a congolese came to ask for the entrance fee of 200 francs. I was too sad to walk around so we went to the ecole de beaux arts. I only saw some paintings. It was not that big but at least it is covered with roof and there is an exhibition hall.
I bought 2 rainbow trout from Score for Welcome to cook. He is very eager to work as there are not too many visitors coming to this office for an extended stay any more. Unlike 3 years ago when this office was very active with three rented cars and three full time chauffeur with 10,000 $ a month expat cook caterer and full service 5 stars hotels management for one of the local director and his clan. Eversince he has been sacked the glamour of the office has been reduced. Now Welcome , who use to be a mere helper or busboy in kitchen is teh one who run the whole five stories building with 5 bedroom suites and a full bar entertainment room. He run up and down stairs each day cleaning, replenishing toilet paper and small bar fridge on the five floor ect... Eventhough there are no guest at all now a day he still very busy from 6 in teh morning till 8 at night to clean the whole place.

I am very good at babbling about something elase when I want to talk about yoga and meditation. I am at lesson three on teh home study course about meditation. There ia these breathing exercise that I really enjoyed. I did that on Friday afternoon. The message lady did not show up so I spend my masage time to get cought up with lesson three about teh power of breathing in meditation. I love the guided music and instruction before really settle down to do teh medition for 25 minutes. Off course it always the same. Mind wonder everywhere. There was no proof of mind wondering when there is no journal entries. I like to read all of these just to assure myself that I ahev dummped so much out already. Eventhough , I'd never get to where I want to go but the knowledge of deleting already so much junk out of my system really reassure me. yes why did I not read and work on my edited chapters that came back almost two months ago. May be by asking this I will do it. WHen will be the right time. And why do I need to spend time in front of all teh junk on TV every night eventhough I realise that it is junk and it is totally a waste of time. O.K. time get serious and call for info about Khao Yai to get my act together for teh plan of having writing playshop in Northern Thailand next year.

In Brazaville March5,07

We are finally in Brazaville with our Picnic refi papers. Franklin agree to come and get it all signed and notarised. Chelsea met us in Meridien hotel not too far from the office. We finished the process in less than an hour but I need to wait in Brazaville for another two nights to get the the ahole set of paper back to DHL to Rhoda. I am glad it will be over soon. I was so dissappointed to learn from Luc Mathut that I can not go to visit Lesio Luna the gorilla sanctuary in Brazaville while I wait for the document. As right now they are moving a big one somewhere and all the personel of the sanctuary will be busy. I will have to find something else to do I wait to get the document back. This is the problem of Africa; We can never plan anything because there is always something else get in the way. I was rather mad that I can not go but what can I do. I asked the guy when can I go to see it. He said to call again in a week or two. I am not too keen to come from Pointe Noire especially just only to go this place. We paid almost 300 dollars for teh plane ticket. But if we need to come for something elase like doing this refi paper and we can combine with this it will be better. Anyway this is just not the right time. I don t know when I will come again. I am not particularly interested enough to come especially for that. I told my husband that I might call to get the lodging and come again next time with Fulvia. Anyway will see when I have the next chance to come. Tomorow I will visit the monument of Braza and take the picture of the rifle in front of the president house. Go to the Zaire embassy and find out the formalities to get Zaire visa so that I can put the Kenya trip together. We had diner at Hippocamp and after we finished our diner the group of the gorilla sanctuary came in to have diner. It was quite a big group and I get to see Luc the guy who I talked to before. I can see how it is going be too complicate for me go there tomorrow with all that they have going tomorow. I told my husband we will see when we have the opportunity to come. May be on the way to Kinshasa and what not? or on the way to Kenya we stop by for one day. I am not too keen to go spend the night. may be go there early in the morning and look at the feeding and come back in the afternoon or evening. According to Fernando, it will be developed to be a good tourist spot but may be it will take sometimes. They need particularly people who has enough interest to make such a plan to come but there certain kind of people for certain kind of place always. It is still a pity that I have time now and in Brazaville but can not do it.I think I should just forget about it and focus on Kenya first. And if we have Kenya plan all spell out then we might be able to put one day in Brazaville for this.I am not gorilla professionals anyway. I just happen to be in the area in Africa where I can see it in natural habitat. I might not have opportunity to see it after I leave Africa which could be very soon. I am ready anyway to see and do something else. This morning I got closer to teh Kenya trip. I went to SDV personally and purchased the Pointe Noire / Brzaville ticket then I ask info about teh Kenya trip the best way would be Pointe Noire / Brazaville then Brazaville / KInshasa and Kinshasa /Nairobi. Roughly the price of plane will be 300 dollars P/N to Brazaville then Brazaville/Kinshasa and Kinshasa to nairobi will be 800 dollars the whole thing will cost 1100 dollars just for plane ticket per person. And the 10 days trip in Kenya will be 8000 dollars person so altogether per persone we will need 10 000 to 11 000 dollars to make this trip. WE must be really motivated. It is not cheap.I wonder how much it will cost if we go first to Europe.

Speedo#2 and teh backyard pets

Speedo #2 and the backyard pets

Miss Lucky showed up at our gate right the day we move into this house called villa 5 Pandino in Pointe Noire. It was raining hard the night before and the next morning we adopted miss Lucky as our pet. She has been with us for more than three years now. She is very intelligent. Now she can hear our voice and can response to our call when she feels like it.
Today I got another little land turtle miss Speedo . She reminds me of our first green turtle we got from the Chinese
piano teacher in Oakland. The kids call her Speed. These littles ones has nothing to do with the tortoise in the
Aesope tale , the hare and the tortoise. Both little baby turtles crawl and climb at a speed of lightning. They run on
the ground so fast that my kids name them Speed. Too bad we were too careless and our first Speed past away
before we can see it full grown.
Now we have this little Speed#2. The kids did not get to meet her yet. I want to send the photo of cute little Speed #2 to all of them today. How these turtles remind me that idea , value , perception and belief can change. Everything changed every moment. How many times do I have to remind myself. For example ,my belief or general belief that turtle are slow. Look at these little Speed and I have to change my idea. The day Speed # 2 came to our house. I put her in an enclosed area. And went inside the house to go to the bathroom. When came out she’s already climbed up
The corner of the enclosed area and ready to escape. I need to put under surveillance and did not dare to leave her in the unsupervised area in the garden. She is too tiny to be there and we will never find her back should she escape from the enclosure.

Miss Speed#2 was a pleasant surprise for me for the day but the best is yet to come. After putting Speed in a safe place I went out to pick up John. He has been nursing Nichole, who was sick with malaria, over the last few days. John had kindly volunteer to help me with my blog. I am so excited to have this blog up and running the way I want. It turn out that John spent the whole late afternoon not only patiently setting up the blog but solve my web site problem and clean up quite a lot of junk in my computer. The task involve several calls to Tou in Bay area at 7.45AM California time I only tried three times and Tou miraculously picked up the phone. Handing the phone to John and hear the two young guys talk computer language that completely beyond me was so much fun and entertaining. We even manage to send the whole web site to Luann and set up everything with network solution. We made so much progress in so short a time. It was a Godsend or what. After this, ordeal to me, a snap of a finger for John, we have a Friday light diner together with Franklin and Nichole who managed to to eat a few bites. My husband was so excited to find out that John came from Kinshasa and they have all kids of discussion about the different sites in the Belgian Congo that they both know very well. After that we spend the rest of the Friday night listen to John’s piano music.

John left the next day after joining us for drumming and playing a few guitar songs for us. I still humming ‘ All my loving ‘and some songs that I like from last night. I don’t know the name but it starts It’s not time to make a change such relax take it easy. You are young that’s your false there so much you have to know find the girl settle down iF you want you can marry look at me I am old but I am happy. …..

These past two weekends have been very musical to me with the visit of the Seth Sharp last week and John this week. Thinking of the blessings I received while meditation everyday at the same spot in the house. I have been trying to write down the sensation. It was difficult to express the surge of sensation I experience during meditation the Guru , in a form of CD voice even suggest drawing but now I know better. I want to sing that.

Yes , I idea and belief change again. The belief about singing has been changed and what express the closest to my sensation of meditation so far is elaborated in the song ‘Across the Universe”

Words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup,
They slither while they pass, they slip away across the universe.
Pool of sorrow, waves of joy are drifting through my open mind,
Possessing and caressing me.
JAI GURU DEVA OM
Nothing gonna change my world (3)

Images of broken light which dance before me like a million eyes.
They call me on and on across the universe.
Thoughts meander like a restless wind inside a letterbox
They tumble blindly as they make their way across the universe.
JAI GURU DEVA OM
Nothing gonna change my world(3)

Sound of laughter shades of earth are ringing through my open view
Inciting and inviting me
Limitless undying love which shines around me like a million suns
It calls me on and on across the universe.
JAI GURU DEVA OM
Nothing gonna change my world(3)

I just realize the word JAI , GURU, Deva , and OM.
Jai is like hail, or Chaiyo in thai meaning Cheers in a spiritual way. Guru is great teacher.Deva is angle or light beings. OM is primordial sacred sound used a lot in Mantra and yoga.
It has been so many years since I hear this song but now it make so much sense and have so much profound meaning to me. I am glad my husband did not get modernized too quickly and still keep the 33-45 records. It is very old fashion to be using the record when every one else are using CD but nothing gonna change my world, nothing gona change my world, nothing gona change my world……
So much of the new paradyme which at times will become old replacing by another paradyme.
And here is the vibration of what Africa has offered to me so far.

March 1,2007

This is more flexible than website. I am stuck with my web site for almost a year now. can not do anything about it yet. Hi Selene, Izzy, Valera , Benjamin, Sylvia , Nichole. I am sitting in front of my husband 's computer at 8.30 pm in Pointe Noire , Congo. Finally got this blog started. What did I do today. We went to Migitel hotel to meet Chelsea from the U.S. embassy to do some paper work with her. But it is more than likely those paper will not work with what we are trying right now. LAst night we have fun with all our diner guests. i make a note to myself to get DVD of teh movie ,the last king of Scotland when it come out. I also revisit my intention for this 2007. Very ambitious goal. i want to practice meditation everyday for at elast 20 minutes and practice yoga for an hour and a half each day. I have started yoga teacher training course with Ajan Sunee in Bangkok last November when I was in thailand. It has always been my intention to practice yoga daily and teh only way to do taht is to get the teacher's training course going. Great that finally I found the right teacher and way to do it. Ajan Sunee is the student of my first yoga teacher Khru Chod Hasbumreu back when I was a high school student. Khru Chod passed away a few years ago and I ahve been practing all styles and forms of yoga in California without really get it. It was great to be back home and do the style that really works for me. Let's see this year I will write down each day how I feel about my practice of both meditation and yoga.I know it will work for me.